SAN FRANCISCO - Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on Wednesday announced a partnership with China's Ministry of Science and Technology to provide affordable health and agriculture solutions for the poorest countries and regions in the world.

In a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed in Seattle, the US state of Washington, both parties affirmed their commitment to focus on innovation that meets the needs of developing countries and advances progress toward the Millennium Development Goals, according to a press release from the Gates Foundation obtained by Xinhua.

"This partnership demonstrates the critical role that rapidly growing countries like China can play in driving innovation to reduce hunger and poverty," said Bill Gates, co-chair of the foundation.

"China's support to bring its power and capacity to bear on global health and agriculture research and production comes at a critical time in our world economic situation," he added.

"Innovation to advance human welfare is a goal that China shares with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation," said Zhang Laiwu, Chinese vice-minister of science and technology. "Together we can do more to improve agriculture and health in some of the poorest nations."

According to the MOU, the projects the two sides will work together on are expected to promote the development of new global health products, improve agriculture inputs, support low-cost manufacturing of health and agricultural products, and develop information technology for rural areas as well as agricultural and health applications.

The foundation said that Gates will give a speech at the G20 summit scheduled to kick off next Thursday in the southern French city of Cannes, outlining how innovations and partnerships in health and agriculture could help maintain global stability and put the poorest countries and their people on a path to economic growth and equity.